"Section IV: Impressive Phrases" (pp119-134) from Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases (New York and London: Funk & Wagnalls, 1917) by Grenville Kleiser (1868-1953).
A - able, skilful, thorough, and genuine
- absolute, complete, unqualified, and final
- accurate, precise, exact, and truthful
- active, alert, vigorous, and industrious
- actual, positive, certain, and genuine
- adequate, uniform, proportionate, and equitable
- adventurous, fine, active, and gossipy
- adverse, antagonistic, unfriendly, and hostile
- advisable, advantageous, acceptable, and expedient
- affable, diffident, humble, and mild
- affectionate, tender, loving, and attached
- affluent, opulent, abundant, and ample
- allurements, pits, snares, and torments
- anger, indignation, resentment, and rage
- animate, impel, instigate, and embolden
- animosity, malice, enmity, and hatred
- annul, frustrate, reverse, and destroy
- anxiety, caution, watchfulness, and solicitude
- apparent, ostensible, plausible, and specious
- appropriate, use, arrogate, and usurp
- approval, enthusiasm, sympathy, and applause
- aptitude, capacity, efficiency, and power
- arbitrary, dictatorial, domineering, and imperious
- architecture, sculpture, painting, and poetry
- ardent, impatient, keen, and vehement
- argue, discuss, dispute, and prove
- arrangement, place, time, and circumstance
- art, science, knowledge, and culture
- artful, wily, insincere, and disingenuous
- artificial, soulless, hectic, and unreal
- assemble, amass, accumulate, and acquire
- assiduity, tenderness, industry, and vigilance
- assurance, persuasion, fidelity, and loyalty
- attention, effort, diligence, and assiduity
- august, magnanimous, important, and distinguished
- authoritative, independent, arbitrary, and supreme
- avaricious, grasping, miserly, and parsimonious
- aversion, dislike, hatred, and repugnance
B - bad, vicious, unwholesome, and distressing
- babble, prate, chatter, and prattle
- barbarous, brutal, inhuman, and cruel
- base, cowardly, abject, and hideous
- battle, defeat, frustrate, and ruin
- bearing, deportment, manner, and behavior
- beg, entreat, implore, and supplicate
- beliefs, doctrines, ceremonies, and practices
- boorish, clownish, rude, and uncultivated
- boundless, immeasurable, unlimited, and infinite
- bravery, courage, fearlessness, and confidence
- breadth, knowledge, vision, and power
- brilliant, beautiful, elegant, and faithful
- broaden, enlarge, extend, and augment
- business, profession, occupation, and vocation
C - candid, sincere, familiar, and ingenuous
- captious, petulant, peevish, and splenetic
- cautious, discreet, considerate, and provident
- certain, confident, positive, and unquestionable
- chagrin, vexation, irritation, and mortification
- character, disposition, temperament, and reputation
- charm, fascinate, bewitch, and captivate
- cheap, inexpensive, inferior, and common
- cheer, animate, vivify, and exhilarate
- chiefly, particularly, principally, and especially
- childhood, youth, manhood, and age
- circumstance, condition, environment, and surroundings
- claim, grab, trick, and compel
- clean, fastidious, frugal, and refined
- clear, distinct, obvious, and intelligible
- clumsy, crawling, snobbish, and comfort-loving
- coarse, gross, offensive, and nauseous
- coax, flatter, wheedle, and persuade
- cogitate, contemplate, meditate, and ponder
- cold, frigid, unfeeling, and stoical
- commanding, authoritative, imperative, and peremptory
- compassion, goodwill, admiration, and enthusiasm
- confirm, establish, sustain, and strengthen
- conform, submit, obey, and satisfy
- confuse, distort, involve, and misinterpret
- consistent, congruous, firm, and harmonious
- cool, collected, calm, and self-possessed
- copious, commanding, sonorous, and emotional
- cowardly, timid, shrinking, and timorous
- crazy, absurd, nonsensical, and preposterous
- crude, rough, jagged, and pitiless
D - daring, cordial, discerning, and optimistic
- darkness, dimness, dulness, and blackness
- deadly, destructive, fatal, and implacable
- deceit, delusion, treachery, and sham
- deep, abstruse, learned, and profound
- deficient, inadequate, scanty, and incomplete
- define, explain, determine, and circumscribe
- degrade, defame, humble, and debase
- delicacy, daintiness, tact, and refinement
- delicious, sweet, palatable, and delightful
- democracy, equality, justice, and freedom
- deny, dismiss, exclude, and repudiate
- deprive, dispossess, divest, and despoil
- describe, delineate, depict, and characterize
- designed, contrived, planned, and executed
- desperate, extreme, wreckless, and irremediable
- despicable, abject, servile, and worthless
- destructive, detrimental, deleterious, and subversive
- desultory, discursive, loose, and unmethodical
- detestable, abominable, horrible, and hideous
- developed, revealed, measured, and tested
- difference, disagreement, discord, and estrangement
- difficult, arduous, intricate, and perplexing
- diffuse, discursive, rambling, and wordy
- diligence, attention, industry, and assiduity
- disagreement, discrepancy, difference, and divergence
- disconsolate, desolate, pessimistic, and impossible
- discrimination, acuteness, insight, and judgment
- disgust, distaste, loathing, and abhorrence
- dissatisfied, rebellious, unsettled, and satirical
- distinct, definite, clear, and obvious
- distinguished, glorious, illustrious, and eminent
- disturbed, shaken, distressed, and bewildered
- docile, tractable, compliant, and teachable
- dogmatic, bigoted, libelous, and unsympathizing
- doubt, indecision, suspense, and perplexity
- dread, disgust, repugnance, and dreariness
- dreary, dispirited, unhappy, and peevish
- dry, lifeless, tiresome, and uninteresting
- dubious, equivocal, fluctuating, and uncertain
- dull, heavy, painstaking, and conscientious
E - earth, air, stars, and sea
- efficient, forcible, adequate, and potent
- emaciated, scraggy, meager, and attenuated
- endless, ceaseless, immutable, and imperishable
- energy, eagerness, earnestness, and enthusiasm
- enhance, exalt, elevate, and intensify
- enormous, base, prodigious, and colossal
- enrage, incense, infuriate, and exasperate
- enthusiasm, devotion, intensity, and zeal
- envy, discontent, deception, and ignorance
- equitable, reasonable, just, and honest
- equivocal, uncertain, cloudy, and ambiguous
- eradicate, extirpate, exterminate, and annihilate
- erroneous, faulty, inaccurate, and inexact
- eternal, unchangeable, unerring, and intelligent
- evil, misfortune, corruption, and disaster
- exacting, suspicious, irritable, and wayward
- exalt, dignify, elevate, and extol
- examination, inquiry, scrutiny, and research
- exceed, outdo, surpass, and transcend
- exceptional, uncommon, abnormal, and extraordinary
- excitement, distraction, diversion, and stimulation
- exhaustive, thorough, radical, and complete
- expend, dissipate, waste, and squander
F - facile, showy, cheap, and superficial
- faithful, truthful, loyal, and trustworthy
- fame, distinction, dignity, and honor
- fanatic, enthusiast, visionary, and zealot
- fanciful, unreal, fantastic, and grotesque
- fancy, humor, vagary, and caprice
- fashion, practise, habit, and usage
- fastidious, proud, gracious, and poised
- fate, fortune, contingency, and opportunity
- fatuous, dreamy, moony, and impracticable
- fear, timidity, cowardice, and pusillanimity
- feeble, languid, timid, and irresolute
- ferocious, restive, savage, and uncultivated
- fervent, enthusiastic, anxious, and zealous
- fiction, fancy, falsehood, and fabrication
- fine, fragile, delicate, and dainty
- firmness, steadfastness, stability, and tenacity
- flash, flame, flare, and glare
- flat, insipid, tame, and monotonous
- fluctuating, hesitating, vacillating, and oscillating
- folly, foolishness, imbecility, and fatuity
- foolhardy, hasty, adventurous, and reckless
- fop, coxcomb, puppy, and jackanapes
- force, vigor, power, and energy
- formal, precise, stiff, and methodical
- fortunate, happy, prosperous, and successful
- fragile, frail, brittle, and delicate
- freedom, familiarity, liberty, and independence
- frightful, fearful, direful, and dreadful
- frivolous, trifling, petty, and childish
- fruitful, fertile, prolific, and productive
- fruitless, vain, trivial, and foolish
- frustrate, defeat, disappoint, and thwart
- fully, completely, abundantly, and perfectly
- furious, impetuous, boisterous, and vehement
G - gaiety, merriment, joy, and hilarity
- gallant, ardent, fearless, and self-sacrificing
- garnish, embellish, beautify, and decorate
- generous, candid, easy, and independent
- genius, intellect, aptitude, and capacity
- genteel, refined, polished, and well-bred
- gentle, persuasive, affective, and simple
- genuine, true, unaffected, and sincere
- ghastly, grim, shocking, and hideous
- gibe, mock, taunt, and jeer
- giddy, fickle, flighty, and thoughtless
- gleam, glimmer, glance, and glitter
- gloomy, dismal, dark, and dejected
- glorious, noble, exalted, and resplendent
- glut, gorge, cloy, and satiate
- good, safe, venerable, and solid
- government, law, order, and organization
- grand, stately, dignified, and pompous
- grave, contemplative, reserved, and profound
- great, joyous, strong, and triumphant
- greed, avarice, covetousness, and cupidity
- gross, academic, vulgar, and indiscriminate
H - habit, custom, method, and fashion
- handsome, exquisite, brilliant, and accomplished
- harmless, innocent, innocuous, and inoffensive
- harmony, order, sublimity, and beauty
- harsh, discordant, disagreeable, and ungracious
- hasty, superficial, impatient, and desultory
- healed, soothed, consoled, and assuaged
- healthy, hale, sound, and wholesome
- heavy, sluggish, dejected, and crushing
- high-minded, truthful, honest, and courageous
- holy, hallowed, sacred, and consecrated
- homely, hideous, horrid, and unsightly
- honor, obedience, virtue, and loyalty
- hopefulness, peace, sweetness, and strength
- hopes, dreams, programs, and ideals
- hospitable, generous, tolerant, and kindly
- hot, hasty, fervent, and fiery
- humane, gentle, kind, and generous
- humble, simple, submissive, and unostentatious
I - idea, imagination, conception, and ideal
- idleness, recreation, repose, and rest
- ignominious, infamous, despicable, and contemptible
- illumine, instruct, enlighten, and inform
- imaginative, sensitive, nervous, and highly-strung
- impatience, indolence, wastefulness, and inconclusiveness
- impel, stimulate, animate, and inspirit
- imperious, wayward, empirical, and impatient
- improvident, incautious, prodigal, and thriftless
- impudent, insolent, irrelevant, and officious
- inadvertency, carelessness, negligence, and oversight
- indecision, doubt, fear, and lassitude
- indifference, caution, coldness, and weariness
- indolent, passive, sluggish, and slothful
- ineffectual, powerless, useless, and unavailing
- infamy, shame, dishonor, and disgrace
- infantile, childish, boyish, and dutiful
- informal, natural, unconventional, and careless
- insolent, impudent, impertinent, and flippant
- integrity, frankness, sincerity, and truthfulness
- intellectual, moral, emotional, and esthetic
- intense, earnest, violent, and extreme
- invent, discover, design, and contrive
- inveterate, confirmed, chronic, and obstinate
- invidious, envious, odious, and offensive
- invincible, unconquerable, insurmountable, and insuperable
- irksome, tiresome, tedious, and annoying
- irregular, uncertain, devious, and unsystematic
- irritable, choleric, petulant, and susceptible
J - jangle, wrangle, squabble, and quarrel
- jealousy, suspicion, envy, and watchfulness
- joyful, lively, happy, and hilarious
- judgment, discrimination, penetration, and sagacity
- just, impartial, equitable, and unbiased
- juvenile, childish, trifling, and puerile
K - keen, intelligent, penetrating, and severe
- keep, protect, support, and sustain
- kind, sympathetic, ready, and appreciative
- kingly, noble, imperial, and august
- knowledge, learning, enlightenment, and understanding
L - lapses, makeshifts, delays, and irregularities
- lawful, legitimate, allowable, and just
- lazy, listless, drowsy, and indifferent
- lightly, freely, unscrupulously, and irresponsibly
- lively, vivacious, vigorous, and forcible
- loss, deprivation, forfeiture, and waste
- loud, noisy, showy, and clamorous
- loutish, prankish, selfish, and cunning
- love, depth, loyalty, and faithfulness
- lucidity, impressiveness, incisiveness, and pungency
M - malice, anger, uncharitableness, and indignation
- malignity, brutality, malevolence, and inhumanity
- manners, morals, habits, and behavior
- marvelous, wonderful, extraordinary, and incredible
- massive, ponderous, solid, and substantial
- mastery, proficiency, dexterity, and superiority
- matchless, unrivaled, inimitable, and incomparable
- maxim, proverb, truism, and apothegm
- medley, mixture, jumble, and hodge-podge
- meekness, inwardness, patience, and self-denial
- merciless, remorseless, relentless, and ruthless
- mild, gentle, humble, and submissive
- mismanagement, indecision, obstinacy, and hardihood
- mixture, medley, variety, and diversification
- modesty, fineness, sensitiveness, and fastidiousness
- money, position, power, and consequence
- mood, temper, humor, and caprice
- motive, impulse, incentive, and intimation
- mysterious, dark, secret, and enigmatical
N - narrow, limited, selfish, and bigoted
- necessary, expedient, indispensable, and unavoidable
- necessity, emergency, exigency, and crisis
- neglect, overlook, disregard, and contemn
- nice, finical, effeminate, and silly
- niggardly, close, miserly, and parsimonious
- noble, pure, exalted, and worthy
- nonsense, trash, twaddle, and rubbish
- novel, recent, rare, and unusual
- noxious, unwholesome, mischievous, and destructive
O - obdurate, unfeeling, callous, and obstinate
- obedient, respectful, dutiful, and submissive
- object, propose, protest, and decline
- obliging, kind, helpful, and courteous
- obscure, shadowy, intricate, and mysterious
- obsequious, cringing, fawning, and servile
- observations, sentiments, ideas, and theories
- obstinacy, pertinacity, stubbornness, and inflexibility
- offensive, disagreeable, distasteful, and obnoxious
- officious, impertinent, insolent, and meddlesome
P - particular, precise, formal, and punctilious
- passions, weaknesses, uglinesses, and deformities
- patient, loyal, hard-working, and true
- peace, quiet, tranquillity, and harmony
- peculiar, individual, specific, and appropriate
- perplex, embarrass, confuse, and mystify
- phrases, figures, metaphors, and quotations
- piteous, woebegone, dismal, and dolorous
- placid, meek, gentle, and moderate
- plain, transparent, simple, and obvious
- play, diversion, pastime, and amusement
- pleasant, jocular, witty, and facetious
- pliable, ductile, supple, and yielding
- poetry, sentiment, morality, and religion
- polished, deft, superficial, and conventional
- polite, polished, cultured, and refined
- positive, direct, explicit, and dogmatic
- powerful, efficient, vivid, and forcible
- precise, delicate, discriminating, and fastidious
- prejudicial, injurious, noxious, and pernicious
- preposterous, irrational, unreasonable, and nonsensical
- pretense, subterfuge, simulation, and disguise
- prevent, restrain, dissuade, and dishearten
- primary, foremost, leading, and principal
- probity, directness, simplicity, and sincerity
- profession, business, trade, and vocation
- profit, advantage, benefit, and emolument
- profuse, excessive, copious, and extravagant
- progress, prosperity, peace, and happiness
- prolix, prosaic, prolonged, and wordy
- property, comforts, habits, and conveniences
- prudence, judgment, wisdom, and discretion
- pulsing, coursing, throbbing, and beating
- pure, kind, sweet-tempered, and unselfish
- purified, exalted, fortified, and illumined
- purpose, meaning, scope, and tendency
Q - quack, imposture, charlatan, and mountebank
- qualified, powerful, vigorous, and effective
- quality, property, attribute, and character
- quarrels, misunderstandings, enmities, and disapprovals
- queries, echoes, reactions, and after-thoughts
- quick, impetuous, sweeping, and expeditious
- quiet, peaceful, sane, and normal
R - racy, smart, spicy, and pungent
- rational, sane, sound, and sensible
- ravenous, greedy, voracious, and grasping
- recreation, sport, pastime, and amusement
- relation, work, duty, and pleasure
- reliable, accurate, truthful, and duty-loving
- reports, stories, rumors, and suspicions
- reproach, dishonor, disgrace, and ignominy
- restrained, calm, quiet, and placid
- reverential, disciplined, self-controlling, and devoted
- rigid, inelastic, stiff, and unbending
- rough, rude, gruff, and surly
- rude, curt, insolent, and unpleasant
S - sad, despondent, melancholy, and depressed
- sane, sober, sound, and rational
- scandalize, vilify, traduce, and offend
- scanty, pinched, slender, and insufficient
- science, art, religion, and philosophy
- scope, design, purpose, and judgment
- sensual, cruel, selfish, and unscrupulous
- sentence, judgment, verdict, and doom
- serene, composed, conservative, and orderly
- several, sundry, many, and various
- severe, stern, stiff, and stringent
- shameless, corrupt, depraved, and vicious
- shock, surprise, terror, and forlornness
- simple, hearty, joyous, and affectionate
- sin, injustice, grievance, and crime
- skill, courage, prowess, and attractiveness
- sleepy, soporific, sluggish, and dull
- slim, slender, slight, and scraggy
- slow, dilatory, slack, and procrastinating
- solemn, profound, serious, and difficult
- solicit, urge, implore, and importune
- sorrow, disaster, unhappiness, and bereavement
- spontaneity, freedom, ease, and adequacy
- stately, stern, august, and implacable
- steady, reliable, dependable, and well-balanced
- stern, severe, abrupt, and unreasonable
- stories, pictures, shows and representations
- strength, agility, violence, and activity
- strong, inventive, daring, and resourceful
- sublime, consoling, inspiring, and beautiful
- substantial, solid, strong, and durable
- suffering, regret, bitterness, and fatigue
- superficial, shallow, flimsy, and untrustworthy
- superfluous, excessive, unnecessary, and redundant
- suspicious, cynical, crafty, and timid
- symmetry, proportion, harmony, and regularity
T - tact, courtesy, adroitness, and skill
- talents, opportunities, influence, and power
- talkative, selfish, superstitious, and inquisitive
- tastes, appetites, passions, and desires
- tease, tantalize, worry, and provoke
- tenacious, stubborn, pertinacious, and obstinate
- tendency, drift, scope, and disposition
- tests, trials, temptations, and toils
- theatrical, ceremonious, meretricious, and ostentatious
- theory, assumption, speculation, and conjecture
- think, reflect, weigh, and ponder
- tortuous, twisted, sinuous, and circuitous
- tractable, gentle, pliant, and submissive
- traditional, uncertain, legendary, and unverified
- traffic, trade, commerce, and intercourse
- tricky, insincere, wily, and shifty
- trite, ordinary, commonplace, and hackneyed
- trivial, petty, frivolous, and insignificant
- true, upright, real, and authentic
- tumultuous, riotous, disorderly, and turbulent
U - ugly, evil, hateful, and base
- uncertain, questionable, erroneous, and mistaken
- unctuous, shrill, brisk, and demonstrative
- unhappy, unfortunate, distressed, and disastrous
- uninteresting, lifeless, obscure, and commonplace
- unity, aggressiveness, efficiency, and force
- unkind, severe, oppressive, and callous
- unpractical, childish, slipshod, and silly
- unreasonable, foolish, excessive, and absurd
- unrivaled, unequaled, incomparable, and matchless
- upright, high-minded, brave, and liberal
- urgent, important, immediate, and imperative
- usage, custom, habit, and practise
V - vain, useless, unproductive, and unavailing
- vanities, envies, devices, and jealousies
- vast, scattered, various, and incalculable
- versatile, eloquent, sagacious, and talented
- vigorous, upright, dignified, and imperative
- vile, mean, debased, and sordid
- violent, impetuous, intense, and ungovernable
- virtuous, upright, honest, and moral
- visionary, dreamy, pensive, and sensitive
- vulgar, heavy, narrow, and obtuse
W - want, lack, poverty, and paucity
- warm, soft, clear, and serene
- waste, devastate, pillage, and destroy
- watched, tendered, fostered, and pruned
- weak, inefficient, stupid, and futile
- wealth, position, influence, and reputation
- well-being, happiness, prosperity, and distress
- wild, restless, aimless, and erring
- wisdom, judgment, understanding, and far-sightedness
- wit, purity, energy, and simplicity
- wonderful, interesting, active, and delightful
- works, sorrows, visions, and experiences
- worry, annoyance, awkwardness, and difficulty